


Stiles tries, and fails, to impress Derek - but kind of succeeds too

by Hepzheba



Series: Tumblr ficlets [14]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Broken Bones, Horseback Riding, Horses, Injury, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-12
Updated: 2014-09-12
Packaged: 2018-02-17 03:56:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2295749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hepzheba/pseuds/Hepzheba
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles usually gallops past that bench where Derek's sitting, and he thinks that if he can’t impress Derek galloping past on a noble steed (stubborn mare, whatever) then Derek isn’t impressed by anything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stiles tries, and fails, to impress Derek - but kind of succeeds too

**Author's Note:**

> So Lydia is a horse in this one. A [chestnut colored horse](https://www.google.com/search?q=chestnut+horse&hl=sv&biw=1366&bih=643&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=rV0TVOHiGIfmywPi_4CYAw&sqi=2&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ) of course (the link takes you to lots of pictures of chestnut horses, if you don't know what color it is or if you want to stare at pretty horses, I want to do that sometimes). She's inspired quite a lot by my own (chestnut) horse.
> 
> The idea of Stiles trying to impress Derek by galloping past is from a girl who told me how she tried to do this. She, of course, fell off the horse right next to the boy she was trying to impress and he and his friends laughed at her (because of course he wasn't alone). She wasn't hurt (except her pride...)
> 
> If you see any glaring errors, please let me know I haven't reread this one myself...

Lydia is the one who notices the boys first. She stops dead in her tracks, head straight up and stands unmoving for a few seconds. When Stiles has regained his balance after almost flying over his horse’s head because he hadn’t expected her to suddenly stand still when they had been galloping, he sighs heavily at her.

“It’s people, Lyds, humans. I _know_ you’ve seen humans before. In fact, _I_ am a human and you’re not scared of me, are you?”

The chestnut mare seems to deem the boys a few hundred feet in front of them to be safe and relaxes as Stiles presses her to start walking again. He recognizes Derek Hale almost immediately – he always seems to notice the other boy, even in a room full of people his eyes find Derek.

Derek is the star player on the lacrosse team, he sits at the cool table along with the likes of Jackson Whittemore and Danny Mahealani, fellow insanely good looking lacrosse players. Derek is the best looking of them all though, according to Stiles. He has dark hair and pale eyes that Stiles has never gotten close enough to to see what color they really are. Sometimes he thinks they’re blue, sometimes green, sometimes hazel and he’s wondered aloud to his friends (mostly Lydia) if Derek wears contacts or is some magical creature because his eyes are unnatural.

It’s not like Derek knows who he is, he is a senior and Stiles is a lowly junior. If Derek does know who he is, it’s only because Stiles is the only male student at their high school who likes horses which most guys in his year find quite funny. If Stiles had the energy to care about their mocking he’d say that he gets more girls than any of them – it’s true, he does. He’s friends with at least half of the school’s female population just because he has his own horse. Too bad he’s gay. (If he believed in stereotypes he’d ask himself if he’s gay because he likes horses or if he likes horses because he’s gay, but he knows better; the dressage instructor at the center where he has Lydia is not gay, if his wife and three kids are anything to go by.)

He and Derek shared one class last semester and once got paired up for a project. Until then Stiles had thought (and kind of hoped) that Derek was just another dumb jock, but when they worked on their project Stiles had realized that Derek was both smart _and_ gorgeous. Life was so unfair. It was also unfair that when they were done with their project Derek didn’t talk to him anymore and then there was the winter break and now they don’t share any classes. So maybe Derek isn’t quite as nice as Stiles’ dad would say Stiles deserves, because if Derek was nice he’d talk to Stiles. But Stiles doesn’t want nice, he wants Derek. (And to be honest, Stiles isn’t really that nice either so he thinks they’d suit each other just perfect.) (Too bad Derek doesn’t seem to have noticed this yet.)

Now Derek is leaning on the bench further up on the track in the woods. He laughs at something Jackson says and replies something, which makes Danny laughs loudly. Stiles is too far away to hear what they’re saying.

Stiles usually gallops past that bench and he thinks that if he can’t impress Derek galloping past on a noble steed (stubborn mare, whatever) then Derek isn’t impressed by _anything._

He urges Lydia into canter and then gallop and leans forward a bit over her neck. He enjoys the wind in his face and grins when he notices that the three boys are watching them. He smiles slightly at Derek and his heart stutters when he realizes that Derek is looking straight at him. _Oh, my god!_

He’s just past them when a bird flies up from a bush. Lydia jumps to the side – something Stiles is used to her doing, but now he’s focusing more on the fact that Derek looked kind of impressed, didn’t he? Stiles loses his balance, just a slight tip forward, but it’s enough to send him to the ground.

“Urgh,” he mutters and Lydia stares at him. She’s a good horse and always stops when he falls off.

“Are you okay?” someone calls and Stiles is about to sit up but the moment he puts his hand to the ground it hurts. Not just kind of hurts like he’s had before when falling off (Stiles falls off his horse more often than he’d like to admit, okay?), but really _, really_ hurts.

“Ow.”

He manages to gracelessly roll over onto his back and sit up, cradling his arm to his chest. It has started to throb rather ominously.

“Stiles?” someone calls and suddenly Derek is in front of him on the ground, looking worried.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Stiles grits out, trying to push back the tears. How humiliating. “How do you know my name?”

“We did that history project together last year, remember? Did you hit your head?”

“No, I wear a helmet.”

“You could still have hit your head,” Jackson says. He’s finally caught up to the others – while Derek and Danny hurried to Stiles’ side, Jackson had rolled his eyes (probably, Stiles didn’t actually see it) before he made his way over at a slow pace. Danny is holding onto Lydia’s reins, looking a bit pale and moving away from Lydia when she tries to sniff on him. Had Stiles not been in pain he would’ve laughed at the cool lacrosse player being scared of a horse.

“Yeah, but no, I didn’t,” Stiles says. He doesn’t _think_ he hit his head. He’ll buy a new helmet just in case, but he’s not telling Jackson this. “I think my arm might be broken.”

“Then we should get you to the hospital,” Derek says and helps Stiles to stand up.

“No, I have to- we can’t just leave Lydia.”

He gets three blank stares at that.

“My horse!” He feels nauseous because of the pain. “I have to get her back first.”

“But-”

“Come here, girl.” Stiles ignores Derek as he reaches for Lydia’s reins. He has no idea how he’s going to get up on her back with his arm hurting. “Could one of you just give me a hand?”

The boys exchange looks between them – kind of as if Stiles is crazy, but Stiles needs to get Lydia back home before going to the hospital. Derek steps closer to him, a hand on his back (something Stiles would normally preen at, but barely notices due to his pain).

“Danny can-” he starts.

“What?” Stiles asks. “Can Danny take care of Lydia? Put away her tack?”

Danny shakes his head violently.

“Thought so. Now help me up.”

Derek sighs and takes Stiles’ leg to help him up into the saddle. He turns Lydia around and she walks slowly, carefully, as if she realizes that he’s hurt. He hears some talking behind him and guesses they’re contemplating what to do.

“I’m fine,” he says. “I’ll call my dad when I get back.”

His dad is at work for another five hours so he’ll call after that, but he doesn’t tell the others this. To his surprise Derek jogs up beside Lydia. Stiles gives him a confused look.

“Danny’s taking my car to the… horse place?”

“Equestrian center,” Stiles corrects. Derek nods.

“I’m Derek by the way,” Derek says and Stiles snorts.

“Yeah, I know.”

Derek doesn’t say anything more.

They get back to the center and Derek’s infamous, black Camaro stands next to Stiles’ blue, rattled-up Jeep – Stiles knows he and Derek are in different leagues, he didn’t need their cars to tell that to him too. Danny and Jackson are nowhere to be seen.

“Stiles? Are you alright?” Stiles’ best friend Allison hurries out and takes Lydia’s reins. “Jackson and Danny was here, saying something that you’d hurt yourself. I got someone’s car keys, but I don’t know-”

She stops talking and stares at Derek.

“Hi?” Derek says, a bit uncertain, and Allison smiles a bit at him before she turns to Stiles.

“Do you need help down?”

“I- yeah, maybe. But I’d crush you. No offense.”

“I’ve got it,” Derek says and glares slightly at Allison (whaat? Stiles’ mind supplies unhelpfully).

Derek almost lifts him down from Lydia’s back and Stiles is honestly quite thankfully. His arm isn’t jostled too much and Derek keeps his arm on Stiles’ waist when Stiles is once again standing on solid ground.

“I’ll get Lydia into the stable, wait here, I’ll come right back and get you to the ER,” Allison says.

“I can take him,” Derek says and Allison frowns at him. “If you give me my car keys, I can drive him.”

“But-”

“It’s okay, take care of Lydia for me,” Stiles says.

“Are you sure?” Allison asks and Stiles nods as he takes off his helmet and hands it to Allison. Helmet hair – not a good look on anyone. Derek has already seen him cry so there’s not much he can do, he guesses.

“Okay, call me later, okay?”

She kisses Stiles’ cheek and leads Lydia into the stable. Derek steers him to his car with a hand on Stiles’ back, which is chivalrous and all that, but kind of confusing.

“She’s your girlfriend?” Derek asks when they’re in the car.

“What? Allison? No! She’s dating Scott.”

“Oh.”

The silence is awkward and Stiles wonders what to say for it to not be awkward.

“Thanks for- you know.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Derek says, keeping his eyes on the road.

They arrive at the hospital and Stiles expects Derek to just drop him off, but Derek is full of surprises today and leads him inside with a hand on his back. He helps Stiles fill out the form he’s been given by the nurse at the front desk. Stiles is given some painkillers, which helps reduce the pain slightly.

“If you tell anyone of my real first name, I’ll kill you,” Stiles threatens when Derek snorts as Stiles spell out his real, Polish name.

“Your secret’s safe with me,” Derek vows.

It takes forever before someone looks at Stiles’ hand and then another eternity before he’s taken to an X-ray, where they tell him that it is indeed broken.

“Oh, fuck,” he swears. “At least it’s my left hand, otherwise I’d die of blue balls.”

So he might have forgotten that it was _Derek_ who’s with him and not Scott. Derek, who Stiles thinks about nine times out of ten during his alone time. Derek’s ears are a bit red and Stiles has no idea how to save the situation. He realizes soon that the situation probably can’t be saved.

It’s almost another hour before Stiles’ arm is in a cast and he’s good to go.

“Dude, it’s fine, I’ll just call my dad,” he tells Derek, but Derek insists on driving him home.

“Who’s going to take care of Lydia now?” Derek asks when they’re almost at the Stilinski house (and Derek doesn’t even seem to need Stiles’ direction to it).

“I’ll manage.”

“If you need help, let me know,” Derek says and Stiles stares at him. Derek is staring intently straight ahead, his ears are a bit red, Stiles notices.

“Can you take care of a horse?” Stiles asks as the car turns up onto his road.

“No,” Derek says and parks the car, he still stares straight ahead though. “But maybe you can teach me?”

Stiles stares at Derek, mouth hanging open unattractively. Derek turns towards him, looking shy and- Stiles’ breath hitches when Derek smiles at him. He grins back.

“Yeah, I can teach you. I’ll teach you how to ride, too.”

Derek’s face reddens and Stiles realizes how these words sound like to anyone not used to horses. Stiles feels his own face heat up too.

“On horses, I mean! Not other things or anything!”

“I wouldn’t mind other things,” Derek says, almost too quiet for Stiles to hear.

“Oh, my god!” Stiles mutters and then almost throws himself at Derek, managing to catch Derek’s shirt with his one functioning hand and his lips almost land on Derek’s lips. Derek chuckles and readjusts them slightly so their lips are actually touching. Stiles groans as Derek’s tongue comes out to lick at his lips and Derek’s hands grab his face, caressing his cheeks.

A loud tapping noise startles them apart and Stiles’ dad is standing beside the car looking unimpressed.

“Heey, daddy-o,” Stiles says and climbs out of the car.

John crosses his arms over his chest. Stiles hears Derek getting out of the car on the other side.

“How many times to I have to tell you to bring your phone when you’re out?” John asks and Stiles winces.

“Allison found it in your car, called here and let me know that you were at the hospital. Why didn’t you call me?”

“Well, you see, Derek here took me there and I kind of forgot and- I’m home now.”

“I can see that. Nice of you, Derek, to take care of my son.”

Derek looks as if he’s ready to bolt. And Stiles wouldn’t blame him, his dad has his hands on his hips, right by his firearm. Derek’s probably making a mental note to never date a sheriff’s kid ever again. Stiles doesn’t want him to, either, he just wants Derek to keep dating him. Are they even dating? Does one kiss in a car mean dating?

“Stop it, dad,” Stiles chides and his dad relaxes slightly.

“Say goodbye to your boyfriend and get inside,” John sighs and doesn’t wait for Stiles to follow him. Stiles wants to hit his father in the head for saying Derek’s his boyfriend when he’s not sure that is the case. Derek doesn’t bolt now that the Sheriff is no longer with his gun, but comes up to Stiles’ side.

“Are you okay?” he asks quietly.

“Are you my boyfriend?” Stiles asks, because that’s what he’s thinking about and he’s always been good at saying what he’s thinking about.

“Yeah, if you want me to,” Derek says and he looks uncertain, which is a new (and adorable) look on him. Stiles smiles.

“Yeah, I want you to,” he says and Derek kisses him again. It’s better when they’re standing up, they’re practically the same height and Derek’s arm fit right around Stiles’ body. His casted arm is a bit annoying so he just leaves it on Derek’s shoulder as his other hand tugs at Derek’s soft hair.

“I can come by tomorrow morning and pick you up,” Derek says.

“It’s okay, I usually take my Jeep-”

“Your car is still at the… equestrian center?” Derek reminds him and Stiles rewards him using the right turn with a kiss. “We can go there after school, take care of Lydia.”

“Yeah, okay,” Stiles mumbles and Derek kisses him again. And again. And again.

Until Stiles’ dad threatens to turn the hose on them.

“I have a cast, dad, it’ll be ruined!” Stiles calls back and kisses Derek one last time before Derek gets into his car and leaves.

“Did you see, dad? I’ve got a boyfriend!”

“I saw. Now, tell me, why didn’t you call me when you broke your arm? And why didn’t you bring your phone? I’ve told you millions of times…”

Stiles can’t help but grin even though his dad rants at him about safety and letting his father know he’s okay and all that.

Stiles has a boyfriend.

He can’t wait to tell Lydia about it.


End file.
